Incoming Masters Students

Once you have been accepted to Temple and the Boyer College of Music and Dance and paid your tuition deposit, please send an e-mail to the Boyer College to update your new Philadelphia contact information. Please include your new Philadelphia address and cellphone number.

Diagnostic examinations are required for ALL entering Master of Music students (excluding Music Therapy students) in Harmony, Counterpoint, Aural Theory, and Music History. The exams may be taken in one day or split over three days. The exam schedule can be found here.

• Music Education majors take an additional one-hour examination in Music Education.
• Keyboard Majors take an additional two-hour examination in Keyboard Literature.
• Music Therapy Diagnostic Examinations take an additional examination.

Please re-read your admission letter, especially the “Special Notes” section on page 2, regarding any entrance deficiencies. If there are courses you need to complete, they should completed by the end of the first year of study. Begin taking any necessary remedial coursework in the Fall semester. Research in Music - It is best for you to complete this course (required for all except Music Therapy and Music Education students) in your first year of study.

**Please note: Boyer College Graduate Handbook: “(Master’s) students may not take final qualifying examinations nor perform graduation recitals until all diagnostic examinations have been successfully completed” (9).

Graduate Master of Music Diagnostic Examination in Aural TheoryThe examination lasts approximately forty minutes and consists of a written portion in which students are asked to identify intervals and chords, to write out a harmonic dictation, and to write out a melodic dictation (played by instruments).

Graduate Master of Music Diagnostic Examination in Harmony The examination lasts one hour and is in three parts as follows:

1. Realization of a figured bass in either four-part chorale or keyboard style. Provide a Roman numeral analysis under the bass line.
2. Provide a Roman numeral analysis of a four-part chorale style excerpt. Circle and label all non-chord tones.
3. When presented with a brief melody and accompaniment, provide a Roman numeral analysis, bracket and label the cadences, and label the phrase structure.

2. Analysis of a fugal exposition, indicating each statement of the subject and answer (real or tonal). Indicate any statements of a countersubject.

3. Two-part writing: select one out of three possibilities (either a species exercise, free counterpoint, or canon).

Graduate Master of Music Diagnostic Examination in Music History The examination lasts one hour and contains objective questions (multiple choice and/or true/false) covering musical works, composers, forms, styles, terms, and instruments from 1450 to the present. A few sample questions are:

The basso continuo came into use in about which year?
(a) 1500 (b) 1600 (c) 1650 (d) 1700

Which of the following instruments would not be found in the score of a symphony by Haydn?
(a) horn (b) oboe (c) timpani (d) trombone (e) trumpet.

Graduate Master of Music Therapy Diagnostic Examinations

The audition and additional music requested during the interview serve as the diagnostic examination in voice, piano and guitar that is required of all music therapy applicants. These diagnostic examinations cover two broad areas of competence: the ability to sing and play a large repertoire of songs from the standard, popular, tradition, folk, rock or country literature: and the ability to accompany yourself in a way that demonstrates proficiency on these instruments. The faculty may select any of the songs on the list.

If a student has not studied piano, guitar and/or voice, or if the student is not prepared to play popular music, she/he may waive any or all portions of the examination and opt to take the appropriate remedial course(s). This is not unusual. If the student waives any portion of the examination, please note this on your repertoire list. Depending on each student’s background and competence, as demonstrated during the audition and SKYPE interview, students may be placed in the following remedial courses:

Important:
All students must present themselves for the diagnostic examinations at the designated time shown; otherwise, permission to register for the first semester of study will not be granted. Students who wish to waive any portion of the examination by taking the remedial courses are still required to present themselves for the scheduled diagnostic examination, unless they send written notification to the music therapy faculty stating their intent to waive all portions of the examination. When students waive all portions of the examination, they will be required to take all remedial coursework without any further opportunity for taking or retaking the examination. Diagnostics are scheduled prior to the beginning of each semester or in conjunction with the intensive courses. However, advisement and registration take place before or at the beginning of each semester (not during the intensive days). Students will be notified of the dates of diagnostic examinations.